We are all in a hurry to get to that next trail! However, us hikers and backpackers are are guilty (at one time or another) for failing to engage in a proper dynamic warm-up. Warming up your (epic strong) muscles and soft tissues (not the kind you cry into) prior to hiking and backpacking is extremely important for injury prevention.

Muscle, tendon, and ligament strains, sprains, and tears are more likely to occur when your body is not warmed up. Preparing your body for a vigorous activity with a good warm-up can also increase your athletic performance. A proper warm-up will increase blood flow to your skeletal muscles resulting in increased muscle temperature and more oxygen available for the working muscles to utilize. Increased temperature and oxygen availability will promote faster muscle contraction and relaxation meaning the muscles will work more efficiently during exercise.

Now that I have (hopefully) convinced you that warming up before your next hiking or backpacking adventure is important, let’s talk about how to warm up. 

The goal of the warm is to prepare your body for an upcoming activity, not to tire it out. Therefore, your warm-up only needs to be about 5-10 minutes long. You want to prioritize dynamic movements for all major muscle groups and avoid doing slow static stretches.

Try the following warm-up circuit before your next hike!

Before you begin jog, march, or jump in place for 1 minute to elevate your heart rate. Or, perhaps skip across the parking lot, or from wherever you had to park your car (so far away from the trail head).

Perform each exercise for 30-45 seconds.

Complete 2-3 rounds with 1-minute rest between each circuit.

Then - tackle that trail!

For more tips and tricks on how to physically prepare yourself for your next adventure, come visit us at Elios Health. We are an interdisciplinary clinic located on Main Street in Vancouver’s Little Mountain Neighbourhood.

The practitioners at Elios health have a special passion for sports and adventure and are ready to help you lead the active lifestyle you love! Come visit us to prepare your next adventure, or recover from your last.

Original Post by Rachel Rubin-Sarganis